Feature Articles |
Classical Musicians of African DescentCourtesy of AfriClassical.com The musicians at AfriClassical.com are a very small sample of the many accomplished Black classical conductors and instrumentalists of the past and present. James DePreist and Paul Freeman are the conductors; the other nine are performers. Conductors who are also composers are found in the Composers pages. A complete list of the Musicians pages can be found here. The site does not sell CDs, but catalog numbers are provided to make them easy to find at music stores or at Web sites such as www.Amazon.com or www.ArkivMusic.com Summaries of selected profiles are followed by an outline which includes composers who are also conductors or performers. A good source of information on singers of African descent, as well as vocal works of Black composers, is The African-American Art Song Alliance. It was founded in 1997 by Dr. Darryl Taylor, a countertenor and opera singer who is Associate Professor of Music at the University of California, Irvine: http://www.darryltaylor.com/alliance/ In response to requests posted in the Guest Book of AfriClassical.com, Dominique-René de Lerma, Professor of Music at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, is compiling a concise database of instrumentalists and conductors of African descent. He may be reached at: ddelerma@afgconsulting.org |
Wayna - American Soul with Ethiopian Rootsby Veronica Henry
In search of better educational opportunities, Wayna and her mother immigrated from their native Ethiopia to America when she was just a toddler. Though they were in a new environment, her mother was determined to instill traditional Ethiopian values in her life. “I feel like I grew up in Ethiopia, in America,” Wayna says. “It was an interesting mix of two very different worlds.” Her gratitude for her mother's sacrifice is expressed in the song, Mama's Sacrifice from the CD, Moments of Clarity, Book 1. Full Story |
Uncategorically Nickby Veronica Henry
Despair not though, there is hope, thanks to artists like Nick Rolfe. The pianist and vocalist is a self described mix between his own vibe plus: Sly Stone meets Jamiroquai meets Steely Dan meets D'angelo meets Ben Harper. Intrigued? Thought you would be. Full Story |
Music News & ReviewsAbout.com R & B Everybody likes to party and have fun, right? Right. But picking out music for having a good time can be serious business. That's where this list comes in: it contains... About.com R & B As of this week, the year is just about halfway over, so its time to take a look back at the first six months of the year and revisit a... About.com R & B Over the course of his career, Detroit R&B artist Andwele "Dwele" Gardner has shown that although he's a young singer, he's got a mature soul. On his third full-length album,... |
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AllAfrica News: Music In their bid to rally quality support for their idol club, Accra Hearts of Oak ladies has acquired a new set of musical instruments worth millions of Cedis, and has consequently outdoored the items at the club's secretariat, in Accra. AllAfrica News: Music THE South African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) says it has no choice but to take the National Credit Regulator (NCR) to court, because advance payments in royalty fees outlawed under the National Credit Act are the only regular income for some musicians. AllAfrica News: Music Angolan singer Kide NC will on Sunday here release his latest album entitled "Caminhos (routes)", ANGOP has learnt. |
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UK top 10 Soul Songs Ever
- Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
- Cymande - Bra
- Goldie - Inner City Life
- Atmopsfear - Dancing In Outer Space
- Soul II Soul - Back To Life
- The Specials - Ghost Town
- Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces
- Freeez - Southern Freeez
- The Style Council - Shout To The Top
- Omar - There's Nothing Like This
When did you decide what you wanted to do with your life? For some, maybe 18, for others, perhaps 30 and there are those that are still trying to find their true path. Imagine knowing what you wanted to do at age 6. Washington, DC R&B star Wayna knew just that, and in fact, proclaimed her destiny to be a singer in a letter to her father.
It's refreshing to come across an artist that doesn't fit well into any of the predefined categories established by the music industry. It takes one back to a time when good music was just good music – when weight, race or looks didn't matter. It was a great time, but unfortunately, one that we may not see again.